One Halloween Night
by Pre-Animation Man
Summary: After a bad beginning, three friends discover that anything can happen on Halloween


Pippi, Tommy, and Annika were walking home from school when a black cat crossed their path.

"Don't pet it, Tommy!" cried Pippi. "Don't you know that black cats are bad luck?"

"That's just an old wives' tale," Annika said. "Besides, what could happen?" Pippi merely shook his head. "Anything can happen on Halloween."

In fact, something did happen as soon as they got home. First, Pippi was weared a red pirate outfit. This is definitely a bad sign, he thought.

Then Tommy found out that he wears like sheriff outfit. "Pirates don't have little sisters," he complained.

Worst of all, Annika's mother insisted that she go out dressed as a cow-looking outfit. "I look ridiculous," Annika protested.

"Nonsense," said her mother, and handed her bell choker.

They all felt gloomy that evening as they set out trick-or-treating and hoped that no one they knew would see them.

But their troubles were far from over. At some houses, they were surprised with tricks instead of treats.

At other houses, the treats were weird, or awful. Soon their bags were full of candy with names like "Broccoli Chews," "Sweet V Sauerkraut," and "Eggplant Fizzlers."

"I can't believe this is happening," Pippi grumbled.

At that moment a screech of laughter came from down the block. Tommy peered through his spyglass and groaned. "It"s Willie and her nasty friends."

"Not them!" Annika squeaked. "They're the worst!"

"We'd better run for it!" cried Pippi.

Finally, out of breath, they tried to slip behind some trash cans at the end of a narrow alley. But Tommy ducked a moment too late, and Anna's rabbit ears gave them away.

Applebloom squealed with delight.

I i'm somethin? funny.

It's Priness Babs Seed find his baby bunny!

Tommy winced, but as he drew his saber, his face lit up with a pirate"s grin. First, he kept the witches at bay so his friends could carry little Anna to safety. Then, growling like a movie pirate, he swung out of reach on an overhanging tree limb, turned a quick flip, and somersaulted backward over the fence.

BEWARE of GHOULS

"I didn't know you could do that" Annika said.

Tommy looked surprised. "Neither did I."

"Come on," shouted Pippi. "They're right behind us!"

They ran until they found themselves in an even stranger part of town.

"It's pretty creepy around here," muttered Tommy.

Pippi suggested they hide in the graveyard, but Annika scoffed "You've got to be kidding."

"No, it's perfect. They'll never follow us into a place like this."

Actually, the witches didn't mind the graveyard at all "We see you, Pippi!" Applebloom crowed.

What's uiron? uiith Jendell? Let me think.

He mutt be Had "Cause he"s dressed in pink!

The witches shrieked and hooted, laughing so hard they nearly cried.

For a moment Pippi's face turned as pink as his smock. But then an idea began to brew. He reached into his mad scientist's kit and started mixing potions. "Drink this!" he told his friends. "It will make us invisible."

At the word "invisible" the witches roared even louder. But their laughter turned to puzzled yelps when Pippi, Tommy, Annika, and Anna suddenly disappeared!

By the time the potion wore off, the children were several blocks away. Everywhere they turned, haunted houses creaked and moaned. "I've got a bad feeling about this," said Tommy.

"Can you make us invisible again?" asked Annika.

Pippi nodded. But when he opened his mad scientist's kit, it was empty, and suddenly the witches were approaching!

Before they could decide what to do, the witches were upon them. Applebloom cackled even louder.

Just look over there, you'll tee somethin? scary.

It's Diamond Tiara Dressed up like a Cheerleader!

The witches squealed and guffawed. They snorted and wheezed and rolled on the ground.

Annika waited until the laughter died down. Then her eyes flashed and suddenly so did her magic wand.

"Now I've got a poem for you," she said, and pointed her wand straight at them.

Instantly, a bolt of white light shot out from the wand, followed by a clap of thunder and a great puff of smoke!

The next thing they knew, Pippi, Tommy, Annika, and Anna landed right back on the corner where their evening had begun. There wasn't a witch in sight, and their bags were filled with wonderful, ordinary candy Pippi stared at Annika's wand. "How did you do that?"

She just shrugged. "You said anything can happen on Halloween."

Later, they sat in Tommy's living room, sorting their candy and sipping cocoa.

"You know, Tommy," said Pippi. "You make a pretty good pirate."

"Thanks. You're a good mad scientist too, even if you are pink. But Annika was the best of all."

She smiled. "I guess being a cow was okay. Still, I'm sort of glad it's over. Now we can all get back to normal."

After a while, Willie even stopped being a toad.


End file.
